Post Katahdin

First of all, thanks for all the comments, messages, emails, and text
messages. I will try to respond to everyone as soon as I can. I have
reception in town but not at the hotel.

I had to make the post from the summit brief yesterday, but I am now
in Millinocket, ME for the day. I took all the required photos
(including one with my suit jacket and tie) and dropped off the pebble
I carried from Georgia. My dad then hiked back down the AT (Hunt
Trail) while Lauren and I hiked over the Knife's Edge and down the
other side to Roaring Brook Campground.

The Knife's Edge was steep. Really steep. On either side of the
trail was a cliff that dropped 1000 feet or more. The trail required
a bit of climbing and down climbing. I don't know if I would hike the
trail again.

The weather yesterday turned out to be better than I was fearing. It
was clear in the morning for our ascent up the mountain. Once we
reached the top we were in a cloud, but the cloud would occassionally
clear off. The rain held off until we made it most of the way across
the Knife's Edge, but then it did rain the rest of the day.

Lauren and I made it down to the bottom and weren't waiting too long
before my dad showed up. He was bringing two other hikers back to
Millinocket (one of which was Soccross, who I stayed with at the Inn
at the Long Trail). We went back to the hotel, took showers, and
changed into dry clothes.

My parents randomly ran into friends (parents of a fellow Boy Scout,
Kyle) yesterday who are up in the area to rehike Katahdin. They
happened to be in the area and were two of the people that I did a lot
of backpacking with when I was younger. So, they had dinner with me,
my parents, and Lauren.

Today is the first of the post-hike, real-world days...